Are you ready for funding? community toolkit

Transcription

1 Are you ready for funding? community toolkit

2 Section 1 getting ready for funding Section 2 finding the right funding Section 3 the application process

3 Funding makes sure your group or project can deliver, continue to deliver and improve on the services it provides. It can allow you to involve more people in your project, improve facilities and upgrade equipment or generally have the financial ability to do things your group want to do.

4 Provides you with information on how to find out if you re ready for fundraising and what you will need before you can apply. Planning a Funding Proposal Why do You Need Funding? Funding Checklist Amount of Funding you Need

5 Don t start writing a funding proposal before you have done the necessary research, thinking and planning! Proposals should be discussed and approved by your management committee. Show the funder that a lot of thought and careful planning has gone into the funding application form. Show commitment to the project right from the start Prepare well in advance as it could take up to a month to complete your funding application form. It can also take up to three months before you hear about the outcome of your funding proposal. Check with the funder and make your application well in advance Plan Your Funding Proposal Well in Advance!!!!

6 Be clear about why you need funding Persuade the funder tell them why you need funding e.g. to provide information and advice on healthy eating Tell them in a way that will convince a funder to give you money Have a constitution in place before applying for funding Have all policy documents in place prior to applying for funding i.e. Child Protection policy when working with children

7 Does your group have a management committee with at least three members? Is the management committee clear about their different roles and responsibilities? Does the group have a constitution that everyone agrees on? Does the group have a bank account in the name of the group? Are there at least two signatories (people who can sign cheques) on the bank account? Does your group know what they need a grant for (that is what do they want to do that they can t do already)? Does your constitution allow your group to do this?

8 Talk to other groups or projects who have had funding success in the past to find out about realistic costs Get quotes from a number of contractors i.e. mini bus hire or building materials If you don t know other local groups contact Engage Renfrewshire, they can provide you with information and support Make sure costs are accurate, include VAT and inflation Ensure that quotes given will last until a funding decision is made Try to use local suppliers where possible

9 Section 2. is about finding the right fund for your group or project. A table of funders Information is provided with key points to find out if it s the right fund for you.

10 Eligibility Can the funder give grants to groups like yours? Conditions Is this funder interested in the sort of work you do and the people you do it with? Effects How will your project make an impact or a difference? What outcomes is your project trying to achieve? Does it match the aims of funders? Exclusions Does this funder say that they will not or cannot fund your group or your work? When do applications have to be in by, when will you find out about the funders decision and does this fit with your timescale or needs? Personal contact If you are not sure about any of the above, contact the funder direct to discuss your project idea. Don t Waste Time Applying to the Wrong Funder!!

11 Be professional Funders are represented by people such as the desk officer, project officer or regional chief executive. Communicate professionally with the funders representatives. Make contact with the funders representative These are people with concerns, interests and enormous demands on their attention and time. Make sure you have good reason to contact them DON T WASTE THEIR TIME! Start Planning Your funding Proposal Be prepared to listen and share ideas, so that the funder is able to identify with people at a human level Make sure you have chosen the appropriate funder!!

12 On Renfrewshire Council s website there is a grant funding page called Renfrewshire4community which holds details of funding available from a variety of funders including the Scottish Government and the council itself. You can get to this info via the search facility on the above web site and click on funding button (on the left hand side of home page) before searching you need to register (this is free) You can then give specific information to make sure the funding that you are looking for is best matched to the funding available. Renfrewshire4community database also provides help and guidance and a directory of terms and words that a funder may use

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14 A funding application is one way that you can communicate with funders. It is only you who can tell a funder what you need their money for. It presents your case to get their support. Most funders, whether they are a grant-making trust or a large funding organisation, will ask for some form of written communication (usually an application form) Sometimes a letter is needed before they can consider your case for funding

15 It presents your group/organisation as a good risk It shows what you can achieve It shows past work that will give a funder confidence that you should be given funding It gives an in depth description of your plans and what your project or activity will include Gives the impression that you know what you re doing and that you have the ability to achieve what you set out to do It makes a strong link between the activities your group will carry out and the aims of a specific project It is clear about the benefits to people as a result of what you plan to do

16 A funder will need to be convinced that there is a need for what you plan to do, the group or groups of people that will benefit, and how many people will benefit They will want to know what will be done and what will be achieved They will need to be persuaded that supporting your project is likely to be successful and something they can claim to be involved with They will require an outline of the costs for each part of the project or activity showing how this has been worked out They will want to be sure you can handle money properly. You may need to provide them with a budget listing the cost of each item and how you will spend the budget

17 Summary What you want to do Why you want to do it How you will do it Who you will work with What the result will be How much it will cost What you will do when the grant runs out How you will keep track of your progress Refer to page 7 of the funding toolkit booklet for additional information

18 Whether applying for a small grant to fund a one off activity or planning to set up a project for service delivery you need to be clear of the outcome or benefit is of what you are doing Know the difference between what your project does and the outcome that it delivers What the project does is the Service it delivers e.g. a project delivers information technology training to 45 people. The outcome would therefore be: 45 people gained a qualification in information technology

19 There is no standard application form or way of applying, each funder prefers to have answers to their own specific questions in relation to their own priorities The person who knows the project inside out should fill in the form This person should also be the main contact for funders representatives and will need to be available to answer questions during the application process Make sure the project fits with the funders conditions Recheck that your project or organisation fits with those that the funder usually funds some funders only give money to registered charities or groups with an income below a set amount Take at least one photocopy of the blank form, so you can do a first draft Include as much relevant information as possible If a question doesn t apply don t leave it blank, write not applicable (n/a) as a funder may assume you have forgotten to answer it Ask the funder to supply the application form on line, if possible. This will allow you to fill out the form on a computer, if not write in black ink and use BLOCK CAPITALS Read the guidance notes fully if applicable

20 Have you filled in all parts of the form? Are the names of committee members and contacts the same as those on your supporting document e.g. your account or constitution? Have you attached a copy of your constitution? Have you enclosed your latest yearly accounts or financial estimates for the following year? Have you enclosed a bank details form that has been stamped and signed by your bank? Have you attached the budget and quotes or cost for your project? Make sure you don t use tippex only cross out mistakes or changes If any sections or boxes do not apply have you written Not applicable or N/A? Remember to keep a copy of the completed application form for your reference

21 The next session will look at : Section 4 - Monitoring your project Section 5 Developing your group Section 6 Who can help If you have any further questions contact the CAVA team at Engage Renfrewshire on or icunningham@engagerenfrewshire.com

22 Provides information on monitoring and assessing your project, preparing and using a budget, and how to monitor your outcomes

23 Produce a project plan covering the following points this will allow you to be clear on what benefits you are trying to achieve i.e. What you are trying to do How you need to do it including the resources you need to do it (finances and staff) When you will do each thing you need to do Where you will do it Who will do it How you will know you ve done what you wanted to do Don t forget costs for things such as insurance, rent and phone bills. Once agreed, the project plan should be used as the basis for your application form. Once funding is granted, you should use the plan as a working document for your project.

24 Your budget is one of the most important parts of your funding proposal, so its vital that it s accurate and realistic Your organisation should have yearly budgets relating to the organisation s activities It helps you make sure that you have the money for what you want to do It allows you to make financial decisions and keep control of a specific set of figures rather than relying on guesswork about where you are

25 Give yourself plenty of time to do the work needed to get accurate figures (it could take up to three months to get all the figures together agreed by the group) Start work on the budget as soon as you can don t wait for funding application forms (you may have to fill them in quickly) Be clear about what the different costs are i.e. Capital costs: tend to be one off purchases such as PCs, printers, tables, chairs etc Revenue costs: staff salaries, utility bills, rent, phones, stationery etc Understand your costs as funders may come back and query them. Be able to explain costs otherwise the funders may lose confidence in you

26 The budget is a guide to whether you are spending your money as you planned The budget can warn you that you are overspending, under spending or spending money on things you did not expect Compare what you have spent to the budget each month If you are not spending your funds as planned you must find out why It could mean that you are not working as you planned to or that you should revise your budget Discuss any budget revisions with the organisation awarding your grant

27 Many Funders divide budgets into capital & revenue costs Capital costs: one off spending such as equipment or setting up costs Revenue costs are ongoing running costs: staff costs, rent, heating, lighting etc Keep a note of how you arrived at your figures, so you can explain them if asked Don t forget to include inflation on all costs if projecting for the year ahead (a general rule is 3% for salaries and 2% for other costs) Remember to consider where you will make up any shortfall. You could for example, get second hand IT equipment as your contribution(match funding) or use volunteer time as an in-kind contribution (that is instead of making a cash payment)

28 Monitoring: Gives you a written record of who s using your organisation or project and shows the current funder that their money has gone where it was meant to It will also allow you to show future funders who used your organisation or project and what they did. Information gathered through monitoring will also be used for assessment How monitoring can be done: This will depend on the information required by the funder and your own preference Keep simple records i.e. names and addresses of people who use your organisation, when they joined and when they left Keep more detailed records of what activities they were involved in (photo s, videos publicity materials etc) Doing more research to find out where people have moved on to after leaving the project Find the balance between keeping track of your users and flooding yourself with paperwork It is best to decide beforehand what level of monitoring you are able to carry out and set up systems before you start work on your project Systems set up for monitoring should be decided jointly between your management committee and project workers

29 Assessment will be called an evaluation or end of grant - project report by most funders in Scotland. Carrying out an assessment is about using the information you have collected from monitoring and other sources to see how well your project or organisation is performing e.g. Is it doing what it set out to do? Is it reaching its target group? What have been the results? Assessing your work allows you to learn from your mistakes and celebrate your successes Assessing your work shows funders that you are keen to look at your performance and that you are professional and want to achieve the best results at all times Assessment will allow you to identify areas of further work and give you solid evidence for future funders

30 You can carry out assessment by: Using the information from monitoring Using interviews or questionnaires to consult workers and people who have benefited from your organisation; and Doing an honest appraisal of your own performance. These sources will be useful in putting together a short document describing how your project worked, what it achieved, how it could be done better next time and areas for future work.

31 Insurance it is essential that voluntary organisations are covered by suitable insurance. Voluntary management committees are responsible for volunteers, their working environment and the property of the organisation, and this includes providing suitable insurance which keeps to the relevant laws. Premises You may be asked in the application form, for example, where your project will meet. You may need to think about renting or buying a property for the purpose of the project. Ensure the property has enough space, is laid out appropriately and has facilities that will allow you to accommodate everything that your project wants to do. Keep to fire regulations the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has a useful section on their website under property

32 The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (ORCR) is the independent regulator and registrar for Scottish charities. OSCAR provides guidance on setting up a charity and answers some of the most common questions asked. Website: also provides information to help charities keep to current laws, such as yearly monitoring and charity trustee duties. If you are setting up a project for children and vulnerable adults it is important that you are aware of the Protection of Children (Scotland Act) 2003 which says that it is an offence for an organisation to offer work (paid or unpaid) to anyone who is disqualified from working with children. If you are working with children and vulnerable adults you should have appropriate protection policies that covers working with children and vulnerable adults. More info at CRBS/PVG web site: pvg.enquiries@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Telephone:

33 Engage Renfrewshire The Community and Voluntary Action team provides development support to local constituted community groups, voluntary organisations and social enterprises. They provide a range of activities which support community participation in Renfrewshire s Community Planning Process. They assist groups to identify suitable funding sources and help them to complete funding applications. They help community groups organise events in their areas, such as gala days and advice days. They also provide advice on accessing funding, suppliers (of stages, stalls etc), policies, insurance and much more. Phone: Website: Renfrewshire Council The councils Education and Leisure department have trained advisors who can provide some help and advice. You can contact them on A number of council employees including their own external funding officer can provide advice on funding organisations and their own council grants. Phone: Website: Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) The SCVO is the national organisation representing the voluntary sector. They have an information help line which is free. They provide advice and information on setting up a charity. Information helpline: Website: